Coventry University praised the ‘cultural heritage and creative energy’ of its home city after the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport announced on Friday 14 July that Coventry has been shortlisted for the title of UK City of Culture 2021.
From an initial list of 11 cities bidding for the title, Coventry has reached the final five alongside Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland and Swansea with the winner set to be announced this December. This is the third time the competition has been run and entrants are hoping to follow in the footsteps of current City of Culture Hull and previous title holder Londonderry.
WMCU member Coventry University is one of three principal partners of the bid, along with the University of Warwick and Coventry City Council.
Professor John Latham, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University said:
“Coventry University is inextricably linked with the city – our buildings, staff and students are entwined with its architecture, community and culture.
“We are proud to be part of the team that will take Coventry forward to the final stages.
“We’ll be working to convince the judges what we know already – that Coventry is a city with a great cultural heritage, a thriving arts scene, and a unique creative energy that can make us a cultural emblem for the UK on the world stage.”